For Mother's Day, I'm wishing for a bike ride on a gorgeous track through quaint towns, working farms and inland lakes. And, when we spy a pretty stretch of green, we will throw down a blanket and feast on spring favorites.

Since my daughters are too young to surprise Mom with pancakes in bed, it's entirely up to my husband, Rich, to turn my dream into reality.

Tender young produce and supermarket staples shape the picnic menu of chicken salad with olive bread and fresh strawberries.

The key to pulling off a Mother's Day picnic is preparation. It's perfectly fine to buy supermarket rotisserie chicken for this recipe. If you do, roasting the asparagus in a hot oven for 10 minutes is all the cooking required.

Wealthy Street Bakery, 608 Wealthy St. SE, makes a wonderful Mediterranean olive bread that is a perfect accompaniment to the chicken salad.

The bread (available on Wednesdays and Saturdays) is yummy spread with Dancing Goat Cheese by DogWood Farm in Byron Center. The cheese is available at Art of the Table next to the bakery. If you're going for the olive bread, try the goat's milk cheese.

Finally, buy organic strawberries, since berries are out of season; they'll be more flavorful.

For harmony and freshness, keep each ingredient, including the jar of vinaigrette, separated in plastic zipper-locking bags, since kids are known to resist a mixture of chicken, asparagus, grape tomatoes -- though they will consume them individually. A wicker basket looks romantic, but stay practical and pack everything in an insulated cooler with ice packs.

I know my husband is up to the challenge, but he had better tune up our bikes for spring so he has time to create our movable feast.